Device for carrying heavy bodies on and releasing them from aircraft



A. E. JONES Dec. 9, 11930.

DEVICE FOR CARRYING HEAVY BCDIES ON, AND RELEASING THEM FROM AIRCRAFT Filed July 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l w" is A. E. JONES Dec. 9, 1930.

DEVICE FOR CARRYING HEAVY BODIES ON, AND RELEASING THEM FROM AIRCRAFT Filed July 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'll-IL I! Fan IIIII/I ,"I

Patented Dec. 9, 1933 i": OFFICE ALBERT EDWARD JONES, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSLGNOR "IO VIGKERS-ARMSTRONGS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COM- PANY 'DEVICE FOR CARRYING. HEAVY BODIES ON D RELEASING- THEM FROM AIRCRAFT Application filed July 22, 1930, Serial No. 469,874, and in Great Britain December 4, 1928.

This invention relates to devices for carrying heavy bodies on, and releasing them from, aircraft and of the kind comprising two pivoted claws or hooks which are adapted to engage with opposite sides of part of the body and which are held in their en gaging position by a rocking member disposed between parts of the claws or hooks; the invention has particular reference to such devices for use with automobile torpedoes carried by seaplanes.

According to the invention the pivoted claws or hooks are held in their engaging position by a rocking block which is disposed between upward extensions of the said claws so as to move in a plane transverse to the plane of movement of the claws and is so constructed that it retains the claws in their fully engaging position during a substantial movement of the said block, thereby avoiding the possibility of the claws being released by a small movement of the block and also enabling a member moving with the block to actuate further mechanism prior to the release of the said claws. The said block is connected to a releasing member and when the latter is operated to withdraw the block from its retaining position between the said portions of the claws, the latter move into their disengaging position with respect to the part of the body with which they engage and the said body is thereby released This disengaging movement of the claws may be effected by the weight of the body operating through surfaces formed on the claws and on the part of the body with which they engage and by a spring (which is preferably a helical tension spring connected at its ends to the upper parts of the claws). The claws are preferably pivoted in end plates constituting part of a frame carrying at its upper end a Hookes joint. One member of this jaw is attached to a hoisting band or rope which leads to a winch on the aircraft as is known per se. The part of the body with which the claws engage is preferably in the form of a longitudinally arranged T-shaped member at the upper part of the body, the said claws engaging beneath each projecting side of the said member. To hold the body against end of an automobile torpedo by, and releasing it from, a seaplane and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a torpedo suspended below a part of the framework of a seaplane.

Figures 2 and 3 are end elevations looking in the direction of the arrows a, a and b, b respectively in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 0, c in Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale. 7

Figure 5 is a sectionon'the lined, d in Figure 4 and,

Figure 6 is a partial plan view of Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is an auto mobile torpedo suspended below a part of the framework 33 of a seaplane by means of the carrying and releasing device C associated with the winch D mounted on the said framework B. The device C comprises ,two claws or hooks 1 (see Figures 4 and 5) pivoted in end plates 2 which constitute part of the frame carrying at its upper end the Hookes joint 3, to the inner member 3 of which the hoisting band or rope 4 is attached, this band or rope leading to the winch D '(see Figures 1 and-2). The claws or hooks l are adapted to engage beneath the projecting sides of the longitudinally arranged T-shaped member 5 formed at the upper part of the torpedo A. The said claws can be held in their engaging position by the block 6 which forms part of the releasing member 7.- The said member 7 is formed at its inner end with two forked arms 7 which are pivotally secured to a lug 8 carried by one of the end plates 2. By angular movement of the member 7 about its pivot the said block 6 "can be moved into and outof engagement with the upper parts of its ing movementofthe member 7,thesaid claws I of the said claws and,'at the same time, en.-.

ables further mechanismto be actuated prior to the release of the torpedo ashereinafter described. Upon the completion of the releasare caused to move into their disengaging position with respect to the 'T-shaped memher 5 by the weight of the torpedo A operat ing. through the inter-engaging surfaces formed on the claws l and on the ll-shaped .member 5, such movement being also assisted bya helical tension spring9 connected at its ends with the "upper parts of the claws.

For the purpose of lilting the torpedo into position the device G is lowered by the aforesaidwinch D into position over the tor-. pedo, the block 6 being out of engagement with the clawslwhich are consequently kept open' by the spring 8. When the said claws have been positioned over the aforesaid T- V shaped member they are closed by manual actuationof a lever 10 pivoted to one of the end plates 2 and engaging at its inner end with two inwardlyprojecting lugsll formed on the claws l ;the closing movement of the'latter taking place against theresistance of the. spring 9 As soon as the claws are closedover theT-shaped'member 5 the block 6 falls or is moved-into its retaining position between the upper portions ofthe claws and the device C is then raised by the winch D into a housing v12 disposed on the aircraft andwhich holds the device against endwise and lateral movement. In order to hold the torpedoA against endwise movement with respect to the claws 1 the lower portions of the end plates 2 engagewith' the ends of the T-shaped member 5, the said ends and the lower portion of the end plates being, if desired chamfered or bevelled as at 2 (see Figure 5). As a further support, for the torpedo, chocks l3 and 14 are provided on the framework B. which are adapted to bear against forward and rear parts respectively of the torpedo when the latter is in position, the chock 13 being provided with an extension 13 which prevents the usual safety fan or blade (not shown) appertaining to the pistol or firing gear of the torpedo from mov- In order that the releasing movement of the aforesaid releasing member 7 shall start the engine prior to the release ofthe torpedo when the device C is in position within the housing 12, the said member .7 is arranged to bear against one armof a bell crank lever 15 pivoted at 1 6 to the housing 12, the other arm of this lever being in pivotal engagement starting lever 18 of the torpedo shown in dot and dot and dash lines in Figure 5,

,with and operating a spring controlled rod 17 which bears at its rear end against the the parts being-so arranged that'jthe' start- 'ing lever 18 is moved to its starting position just before the block 6 moves out ofengagement with the portions of the claws between which itis normally situated.

What I claim and desire to secure ters Patent of the United States is p 1 A device for carrying heavybodies" on, and releasing them from, aircraft, comprising in combination two'pivoted claws, upward extensions of said claws, a rocking block disposed between said extensions and arranged to move in. a plane transverse'to the plane of movement of said Pclaws, means for moving said'bloclr to release, the. claws and means whereby said bloclrretainssaid claws,

Let-

in their engaging position during a. substantial movement of said block V 2. A device for carrying heavy bodies on, and releasing them from,aircraft, compris ing in combination withthe elements claimed in claim 1, of spring means for moving said claws into their disengaging position when released by said block. I

3. A device for carrying heavy bodies on, and releasing themfrom, aircraft, c ompris-' ing in combination with the elements claimed in claim 1, of a frame to which said claws and block' are pivoted, and extensions of said frame for contacting with the endfaces of part of the suspended body to prevent endwise movement of said body. V

I 4. A device for carrying heavy bodies on, and releasing'them from, aircraft, comprising in combination withtheelements claimed in claim 1, of a frame to which said claws andj block are pivoted, and extensions of said frame for contacting with the end faces of part of the suspended body to prevent end,- wise movement of said body and a Hoolres joint carried by said frame, said Hookes joint being for connectionto a flexible member moving said claws into their engaging position to permitsaidbloclr being placed between them.

ALBERT EDWARD Jones. 

